Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive transmission device for transmitting a rotary drive.
Description of the Related Art
In general, drive transmission devices for transmitting a rotary drive using a shaft and a gear fixed to the shaft have a configuration in which two points of the shaft are rotatably supported by bearings each supported by a support side panel (a frame). For such a rotary mechanism, it is important that the center of axis of the shaft for transmitting the rotation is maintained at the same position with a high degree of accuracy. For example, if the attached shaft is inclined, a gear fixed to the shaft may be in partial contact with a gear that is meshed therewith. Accordingly, abnormal wear may occur or abnormal sound may be generated.
To support the shaft at no inclination, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-212806 describes a technique of forming a gap between the bearings and automatically aligning the center of axis using a planetary gear.
To prevent inclination of the rotary member attached to the driving shaft that transmits a rotation, a support configuration that prevents the inclination of the driving shaft is needed. If the center-of-axis aligning mechanism described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-212806 is employed, the following constituent elements, that is, at least three planetary gears, two bearings, and one cylindrical member are needed. To prevent the inclination of the driving shaft, the demand for a support structure formed from less number of constituent elements has increased.